HANCOCK COUNTY — Hancock County Republican Women and Hancock County Young Republicans co-hosted a Meet the Candidate Night where Republican candidates were able to speak on why they are running for office and offer a chance for the public to mingle and ask questions.
Some candidates were unable to attend due to prior commitments or unseen circumstances; however, candidates who were able to attend the event were able to speak for approximately three minutes, sharing who they are and why they decided to run for office.
Rachel Stuffle, chair of the Hancock County Young Republicans, has been chair for three years and said that they hold this event to inform people who the Republican candidates are and to allow the public to put a face to the name when it is time to vote.
“It also gives the candidates a chance to get to know their constituents,” Stuffle said.
Congressional race
The first candidates to speak at the event were those running for the the 6th District seat currently held by Congressman Greg Pence (R-Indiana), who announced late last year that he would not run for reelection.
Jamison Carrier, a Greenwood resident, said he is deeply rooted in the 6th District and that despite being grateful for all of the great things throughout the district, there are challenges as well. Carrier said that fentanyl is claiming more than 300 lives per day, including his son, who passed in April 2022.
“That’s a challenge that too many families have faced and it’s becoming way too common,” Carrier said. “We don’t want another family to have to live through the story that we have.”
Carrier said that his candidacy for Congress is based on America-first priorities. Carrier said this includes partnering with Trump to have borders secure; unleash American energy to fuel the American economy and stop reckless spending to balance the budget; support military, police and first responders; enact term limits; and fight for the second amendment.
John Jacob, a lifetime resident of the south side of Indianapolis, previously held office as state representative of District 93 and authored or coauthored bills on protection of life, constitutional carry, medical freedom and more.
“I’ve been in the belly of the beast. I know what it is like to operate in the legislative realm,” Jacob said.
Jacob said that he is running for office to fight for conservative values he fought for at the state level and to work with others to get things done. This includes continuing to fight for the protection of life and expansion of second amendment rights at the federal level. He also aims to secure the southern border and support public safety and veteran affairs.
Jefferson Shreve, who previously ran for mayor of Indianapolis, said he is a product of the 6th District, and that while he has not been a politician all his life, he has been growing his business and employing hundreds of people across the state.
Shreve said that part of his message when he ran for mayor is the same as when he runs for Congress.
“The challenges within Marion County, from a public safety standpoint, from the revolving door of crime, don’t end at the county line,” Shreve said.
Shreve said that, at the same time, these challenges are rising from the southern border and that he shares the conservative message with other candidates that fentanyl trade and immigration policy need to be fixed. Shreve said while he has been an employer all his adult life, he stands before voters asking to be hired to serve the 6th District.
Mike Speedy, who currently serves as state representative for District 90, said he has a conservative record that has been tested and has held his line supporting law enforcement, veterans, protecting life and standing up for values of his own and of the 6th District.
Speedy said that he runs his campaign on three items: securing the borders, strong fiscal policy and pushing back on Marxism, which he says is affecting our culture, schools and military. Speedy said that one of the problems the country is facing after drugs is the debt and spending that Washington D.C. is doing.
Speedy said that he has endorsed Trump and that, in order to move forward, he believes in using his next administration.
“We have to use his next administration to make our country stronger. Get through it and we can build a better country for our kids,” Speedy said.
Bill Frazier served as a paratrooper with the rank of sergeant and also was senator of District 14 from 1968-70. With his political history, which includes working with Ronald Regean, Frazier said he has done “about anything imaginable except go to Congress.”
According to Frazier, border control is one thing that needs to be addressed and that the situation with the drug crisis shouldn’t be happening.
“Someone is going to have to stand up and get the job done, whatever it takes,” Frazier said. “And I’m willing to do that.”
Jeff Raatz, current senator for District 27, has been serving the General Assembly for the past 10 years. Raatz said he decided to run for congress because if people don’t go for the right reasons and things continue to go backward in Washington D.C, eventually it will affect the state and how it operates.
Raatz said that Indiana has a great track record in the direction it’s heading for many years, starting with former governor Mitch Daniels.
“We’ve been able to stay in that track record, continuing to move forward and make sure we are doing well,” Raatz said.
Raatz said that he feels fortunate to be able to do what he does at the state level and is not afraid of the fight.
Also running for the 6th District are Republicans Darin Childress and Sid Mahant. The only Democrat running is Cynthia (Cinde) Wirth.
House of Representatives race
For the open seat for state representative of District 53, candidates shared their reasons as to why they want to work at the state level.
Keely Butrum has served on the Greenfield City Council and is currently a member of Hancock County Council. Working in finance for 20 years, Butrum said that being on county council and dealing with county finances has allowed her to thrive with her background.
Butrum said she wants to be a part of the state legislature because she loves fighting for people and supports government transparency.
“I have been a strong advocate for everything should be not only for the benefit of the people but the people should be able to know what the government is doing,” Butrum said.
Butrum also said she wants to be involved at the state level because she enjoys tackling complex, multifaceted issues. Butrum said that her agenda is to be a voice for the people, and everything done is seen transparently because “there is no such thing as government dollars, there are only taxpayers dollars.”
While Brian Evans was unable to attend the Meet the Candidate event due to a household illness, he had a representative speak in his place.
Born and raised in Greenfield, Evans enlisted in the Marine Corp after graduation. Being stationed in Washington D.C., Evans met his wife and toward the end of his time in the Marine Corp he was recognized for his leadership and took on the job as director of correspondence analysis for the Trump Administration.
Evans currently works for the Indiana National Guard and a non-profit organization, doing work across the state.
Ethan Lawson, who works for the Indiana National Guard and is vice chair of the Hancock County Republican Party, said that Washington D.C. dysfunction and what is wrong at the national level is what drove him to run for state representative.
Lawson said that with work he hears about the fentanyl crisis on a day to day basis and that the borders need to be secure, and support law enforcement and first responders by making sure they have the resources they need.
“Our community is growing very rapidly and if it continues to do that it is going to be more and more important to make sure that our first responders, police and our infrastructure can keep up,” Lawson said.
Lawson said that he has worked inside and outside of the Statehouse,so he knows how the legislative process works and what can be accomplished if they work together for conservative values.
Kevin Mandrell has lived in Hancock County for 38 years and said that he had worked with legislation locally and a few times at Washington D.C.
“I’ve had opportunities to see the process and work with our legislators to see how we can move legislation,” Mandrell said.
Mandrell said that he believes experience does matter and that he has been able to start companies from the ground up, see how things run and how to operate, move and employ people, working within the community.
Democrat Nate Anderson is also running for state representative of District 53.
County Council race
George Plisinski Jr. is currently the vice president of engineering at NineStar Connect and has served four years on Greenfield City Council.
Plisinski Jr said that if someone was to boil him down to one character, it would be grit — what he described as a combination of passion and perseverance with the ability to pursue long term goals. Plisinski Jr said that he wants to be the people’s voice on the county council to focus on infrastructure, public safety and amenities.
“Those three things equate to prosperity in our county,” Plisinski Jr said.
Robin Lowder, who is in her fourth year of her first term on county council, said that she has worked for county government for more than 30 years, 10 years being county auditor. Lowder said that with almost anything involving the county she has been certified in and has been faithful to the Hancock County Republican Party.
“I have a vision for this county that I have tried to develop as time has gone by and I’m not finished, I don’t believe,” Lowder said.
Lowder said that supporting public safety is important to her and the need to make sure that the government is funded. Lowder also shared that the county has been working on an education center where kids are able to learn other skills outside of earning a college degree so they are able to go into the workforce and earn a living, having the American dream right away.
Lowder also said that they want this county to be a place where kids will want to stay, and a way to do that is having lower taxes and keeping expenses low while funding county government and the community.
Also running for county council but unable to attend was current county council member Kent Fisk and current county commissioner John Jessup.
Democrats Carol Pearson, Linda Robinson and Frank Rock Jr. are also running for the two open seats.
County Commissioners race
Jeannine Gray, who has been on county council for six years, is currently president of the county council and is seeking the open seat for county commissioner for District 1.
Gray said that governing is not for the weak of heart and that every decision made affects everyone. Gray said that those sessions are made with thought, heart and empathy for the people who live within the community.
With lowering taxes for the last five years in a row and having reserve and target balances built up, Gray is proud of the work she and her colleagues on the council have done.
“We have money to move this county forward. We have to look at our infrastructure, we have to keep our public safety and we have to retain the quality employees this county already has, and I think that is a relevant job of a commissioner,” Gray said.
Also running for District 1 is current town council president Greg Brewer, who was unable to attend due to unseen circumstances.
